[Open/Catch-all] Don't you let them see your troubles

[twelfthsong]

Who: The Doctor and you!
What: A new place, lack of tech and friends means the Doctor is reluctantly getting his bearings while internally freaking out
When: Over the course of September
Where: Central Command, The Mage's Sector, Electric Heart + Mini Missions
Content Warnings: None, but will update if anything arises

the worst neighbour ever — central command

[A grounded, TARDIS-less Doctor is a bored Doctor. With no missions on the horizon and a reluctance to even participate in them, the Doctor has reverted to what he's always done when he gets bored: build.

Any neighbouring rooms in the residential parts of Central Command would have likely heard a lot of noise over the last couple of days including, but not limited to: dragging, banging, whirring, wielding, shouts of success, annoyed muttering and pacing at varying times throughout the day. Maybe you've been woken up by said noise or maybe worse, kept up by it. Either way, there's a very simple piece of paper that reads, "Do Not Disturb" slapped onto his door. Attempts to get him to shut up usually don't work and he might even poke his head out every once in a while to tell someone to go away because they're the ones disturbing him or give them some earplugs before shutting the door in their face.

The finale of it all results in a small 'boom' from behind the closed door to his room. It's enough to make some of the walls shake, the lights flicker, and moments later a tall man wearing goggles throws the door open coughing violently as smoke begins to spill out.]

Where are the extractor fans when you need them? I should have installed those first.

get in loser we're going to do research — library @ the mage's sector

[Typically when he lands in a place that he doesn't have any information on he'll do his research. Well no, that's a lie. He'll usually just dive right in and get to know a place via the locals if there are any because nothing is better than first hand experience. There are plenty of locals, but, ah yeah the talking bit. He's had his fill of talking to people which means that research is a very valuable and secondary option. That's how he stumbles upon the library in the Mage's Sector. It isn't quite as extensive as the one in the TARDIS - nothing ever will be - but it's got enough books here to satisfy his thirst for knowledge.

It's a good thing that this place doesn't close because once he's sat himself down with a large stack of books in a comfy armchair with a desk in front of him the Doctor isn't keen on moving. Passersby might notice that the titles and topics vary; all of them are about the Broken World and its history, the planet's vegetation, fauna, and local animals, technology, and the customs of the planet - but there's also one slipped in there that very obviously reads, 'Horsemanship For Dummies'. Is his notebook filled to the brim with notes about horse training? Maybe. It's none of your business. Linger long enough nearby and he might ask/tell you:]

Could you keep your breathing down?

guitar hero — vr @ the electric heart

[If you've never seen a Time Lord going through a mid-life crisis (can you even have a mid-life crisis when you're 2000 years old), now's your chance.

The Doctor has been shredding - quite literally - on the VR's version of the electric guitar all day. He's somehow found a pair of Rayban-esque sunglasses and is currently jamming out to a tune that some might recognize. Turns out that it's tied to a game that looks a lot like a familiar Earth rhythm-based game and he's doing an eerily good job of keeping up with the fast chords and beats he has to hit. By the time the song ends, the points total up on the screen announcing him as the current high score holder. While no one is playing with him (yet), there's definitely room for people to join in on another guitar (axe battle anyone?), drums, or any other instrument you fancy (is that a trombone flickering in the background?).

Maybe it isn't a visible mid-life crisis, but trust us he's definitely brooding about something because he doesn't seem the least bit pleased about securing the high score as he punches in 'Doctor Mysterio' into the name section.]

wildcard — pick your own adventure!

[The Doctor can be found in various places across the Witches Camp scavenging for parts, building things, or putting in time between the library, Central Command and studiously avoiding the infirmary. Need someone to bicker with? Do you also want to tell him his hair is unruly? He's your Time Lord.]

[ ooc: prose is absolutely welcome, I'll follow your lead. I'm also happy to throw up private top levels as a general catchall for the rest of the month. Feel free to reach out to me via journal pm or discord for plotting! ]

Comments

[twelfthsong]

[The Doctor can't help but look mildly confused that someone is talking to him but still pushes the goggles up onto his head so that his wild hair gets even wilder.]

Thank you. Who builds a building without extractor fans in the first place? [And then he recognizes Tech pointing something like very botched cellphone in his direction.] Tech, isn't it?

[tech_nically]

Someone who doesn't anticipate its residents turning their personal quarters into workshops, I imagine.

[He arches a brow at the...whatever it's supposed to be, perhaps just slightly on his guard because it looks suspiciously like a taser- not that he's concerned about being intentionally shot at so much as accidentally. Still, he nods.]

That would be an affirmative.

[twelfthsong]

Well they should have accounted for it. [Who enjoys being reasonable anyway when you're in the middle of an internal crisis?] I'll get to it after this. Might be a little useless now but it's fine. Better to future proof.

Right. Lovely talking to you on the Tether app thing. [And then he approaches Tech, botched cellphone now not pointed directly at him but at the ground.] Do you still have your chip implanted?

[tech_nically]

[If the man's had no complaints about the noise from whatever his project might have been, he'd surely get them from some impromptu renovations. Tech can only shrug at that. Who's he to tell him no?]

Ah yes. The Doctor.

[Titles as names? Not the strangest thing he's heard, but he figures in this case it's probably significant. The question that follows is unexpected and has the clone blink before he gives a cautious nod.]

I do, yes, if perhaps against my better judgment.

[twelfthsong]

[Oh but he has. He just doesn't care.

His eyes seem to shine upon hearing that and he's by Tech's side in several short strides.]

I need to test the capabilities of my sonic probe. Do you mind?

[tech_nically]

[Is this how Wrecker feels? Probably. Tech stares a moment.]

Excuse me, what? Sonic probe?

That sounds considerably more invasive than a scanner. Just what are your intentions for such a thing?

[twelfthsong]

I agree it's an awful name. Blame Amelia - [No context on who Amelia is of course.], but it's certainly not a sonic screwdriver - yet. I have to get the schematics and fabrication right before we make it there. Consider this a prototype.

Really it's just to see if this can scan for the implanted chips among other things. I scanned myself earlier but one successful use doesn't prove a hypothesis.

[tech_nically]

How effective would a sonic screwdriver even be?

[He eyes the strange device, bringing a hand up to adjust his goggles.]

That's true enough, especially if we don't have an established baseline. How does it work?

[twelfthsong]

Don't insult the sonic! [For a split second he does seem rather offended.] It's very effective. Not so much against wood. But I can work on that.

I'll just point it at you and it'll scan for the chip frequency that it's sending out. [And to demonstrate, he points it at himself. It doesn't seem like much is happening at first but then the probe's LED screen lights up showing a chip at the back of the Doctor's head.] See? Harmless.

[tech_nically]

[That outburst startles Tech. He raises a brow at that, waiting for further explanation that doesn't come.]

So what does a sonic screwdriver do, exactly?

[But back to this...thing. Tech fingers his chin as he watches the brief demonstration, which for the most part seems anticlimactic until the reading pops up.]

Hm. [Some consideration, and a sigh.] Very well. But if anything happens, I'll know who to come after.

[twelfthsong]

The better question is to ask what can't it do? [He pauses.] It's awful against wood. Just awful. I keep forgetting to create a setting for it. But I can use it to unlock things, scan beings, spaces, technology, blow things up in certain cases.

[The Doctor's eyes light up.] Excellent! Now just hold still, shouldn't take long. [And he proceeds to scan Tech before - ping! The same pleased smile appears on his face.] Did you know you have your chip in the back of your head too?

[Go on, Tech. Show him how impressed you are.]

[tech_nically]

So...less of a screwdriver and more a multitool. Although I would normally use my computer to do the things you've mentioned. It's rather ineffective on wood as well. [Is that a joke? It probably is.]

[He frowns a little but stands there until the Doctor is done.]

Well, good to confirm that the location isn't the same as the other had been, but I expected as much.

[twelfthsong]

Okay yes, but don't you get bored or can't sleep and put up one too many cabinets? What's better than just a screwdriver? A sonic one.

[See the possibilities, Tech!!]

You had another? Is it still supposed to be there? [He peers at the results only finding one chip before holding it out to Tech to take a read.] Either way, the probe is picking up signals that are sending out basic personal information, vital signs, locations, and planetary alignment - everything we already knew.

[tech_nically]

But it could theoretically be anything aside from a screwdriver. Like...whatever this used to be. [He cocks a brow at the Doctor's scanner.]

I- yes, and no. It had better not. That one was difficult to detect given it was made up of organic materials.

I'm more curious as to how the disruption of those signals works between here and outside of the Camp. Although if your device is still picking up signals, then perhaps whatever is blocking effective tracking by the Sylphid is still technically reading the chips present and simply scrambling the information to make it look like we're still elsewhere. It's not so dissimilar a concept from scrambling a ship's signature so that we are virtually untraceable.

[twelfthsong]

Ah this? [He glances down at the sonic probe.] It was just someone's old communicator that they don't use anymore stuck together with some bits of a pacemaker that no one was using. Much more boring than a screwdriver.

I did some asking around about that. I thought there might be technology signals jamming the frequencies to those outside it but it's a magic force field of some kind that scrambles it instead. [He presses a couple of buttons the probe.] I'm wondering if there's a way for us to keep using the chips to create a fake signal - misdirection of sorts.

[tech_nically]

I have heard that magic of some kind is involved, yes. [He frowns a little.] But it's still a different means that otherwise produces the same result.

[He watched as the Doctor fiddles with the probe again.]

I was wondering something similar to that effect. Something to still transmit signals without our needing to keep these chips implanted.

[twelfthsong]

We'd need more insight to the Sylphid's technology. Maybe getting a hold of a stripped chip could prove useful to that.

[The Doctor looks back up to Tech.]

Maybe some kind of disruption device people could carry? But then we wouldn't want to make it too bulky - we should write this down.

[And without any prompting for Tech to follow he all but runs back to his room - where if Tech is follow - he'll find the Doctor frantically scribbling across a giant blackboard half baked schematics.]

[tech_nically]

Yes, that it would. I'm trying to see about if we'd have access to that.

[Or...he'll just wait until Vader inevitably drops off a bloody chip in his hands

Before Tech can voice his agreement he finds the Doctor dashing off, so of course he follows. There's not too much that they've started to talk about that Tech hasn't already made some form of notation on, but he nevertheless pulls out the notebook he's gotten accustomed to carrying around, and a pen to start jotting down things he can peruse later.

He arches a brow at the man's scrawling with interest.]

Yes, not too bulky. The easiest thing would be to just build individual receivers but they'd have to rely on a centralized signal, which would be more susceptible to failure if a targeted disruption were attempted. No, it would still have to be individualized, which would probably require a way to keep said chips active once they've been removed... I'm not entirely sure how they function and if it's the process that deactivates them or just being apart from a body...

[twelfthsong]

[Everything coming out of Tech's mouth might have sounded like gibberish to anyone that wasn't familiar with what they were hypothesizing, but the Doctor was nodding along, capturing everything Tech was saying.]

We'll have to experiment with ones we get back from people. Implanting it again seems like a moot point because we might be better off tampering with it inside someone but if they could wear it in a piece of jewelry or accessory that could serve a similar purpose. [He whips around, piece of chalk in hand to look at Tech.] How were you going to get them? Through the medical lab? Or someone else doing their own self surgery?

[Did he think self-surgery was the smartest idea considering where the chip was? No. But it had definitely crossed his mind at one point.]

[tech_nically]

[Re-implanting the chip just sounds unpleasant.]

It would be too risky to implant it again anyway. We are dealing with the inside of people's heads, after all. Nor do I think that tampering with it while it's inside of someone's head to be a good idea.

The rebels have clearly been dealing with them enough to know something about them. I'm going to ask if they have any samples and what information they have.

...I'm not sure I'd recommend self-surgery, or at least certainly not without the appropriate equipment.

[twelfthsong]

No, no you're right brain business is tricky. Too many synapses or wires depending on the brain you're working with.

[He crosses something off on the board that suggested otherwise.]

I wouldn't either. But I think most people even with limited medical experience would be able to tell you that. [He seems to mull something over looking at the half baked schemes on the board.] What we really need is a closer look at the Sylphid technology at their facilities.

[tech_nically]

[Tech finds himself unsurprised as the Doctor crosses off something on the board, perhaps vaguely amused if not a touch disturbed. They were fair ideas but not really very...practical. Maybe that's not exactly the word for it.

He looks back at the rest of the things the Doctor's written, nodding thoughtfully.]

I agree. I think our only real chances to do so are during missions. The last one we were sent out to handle didn't really give too much insight on anything specific to their technology, but then in all fairness, they seem to have made use of whatever was here and things have only developed from that. Unfortunately I don't think we'll really get a true understanding of potential differences between what the rebels use here and what the Sylphid have unless we get into their main city itself.

[twelfthsong]

[At least Tech could take comfort in knowing he would have tried it on himself first before testing it on anyone else. He dove headfirst into danger but he didn’t like anyone else doing it if he had a real say in the matter.

His jaw tightens slightly.]

I wasn’t planning on going on any missions but that might be enough of a reason to.

[He looks at Tech, tearing his eyes away from the chalkboard.]

What’s your stance on hurting other people?

[There seems to be some kind of cautious gauge to his question, as if he’s trying to make sense of the type of person Tech was in the field.]

[tech_nically]

Missions will be the most straightforward way to learning anything for ourselves outside of preparatory information the rebels may provide.

[It also served, strangely enough, as a distraction of sorts, being thrust into familiar circumstances despite unfamiliar methods.

He blinks at the abrupt question, meeting the Doctor's eyes with a look slightly confused but equally curious.]

I don't take pleasure in it, if that's what you're asking. But I'm a soldier, and if the odds are not in our favor, I will do what is necessary to protect myself and whoever else I am with.

[twelfthsong]

[He seems to mull Tech's answer over for a moment, and there's something heavier, darker, that flickers in his gaze before it's gone as quickly as it had come. It's instead replaced with the same, slightly wild, levity he'd had before.

They were in the middle of a war. What was he supposed to expect? As much as he was enjoying Tech's company so far, words weren't something he could take at face value until he saw it in action.]

Just had to check. I've met people before that take a little too much pleasure in it. I'd be happy to tag along with you if you need a mission partner. Just no killing if we can avoid it.